May 14th 2021

DAVID LLOYD LEISURE RENEWS ITS PLEGDE TO EMPLOY MORE OLDER FITNESS TRAINERS AFTER RESEARCH REVEALS POST-PANDEMIC DECLINE IN EXERCISE AMONGST OVER 50s

 

• David Lloyd Leisure renews its search for more older Fitness Trainers in a bid to make exercise facilities more welcoming for older people.

• In 2019 the leading health and wellness group committed to having one Fitness Trainer aged 55 or over in each of its clubs on average by the end of 2022.

• It is also upweighting its training programme to empower all its Fitness Trainers on how to support older members.

In response to a recent survey from Sport England* which revealed a decline in the number of older people exercising as a result to the pandemic, David Lloyd Leisure is looking to encourage more older people to train and apply for roles as Fitness Trainers.

In 2019 it became the first company of its kind to commit to having a Fitness Trainer aged 55 or over in every one of its clubs on average. The pledge, to be completed by the end of 2022, was made to encourage a more age-diverse environment in its gyms so that everyone feels at ease whatever their age or fitness level. It was also made a part of a wider commitment to offer older people tailored expertise and support to meet their individual needs.

This commitment follows the recommendations of Public Health England and ukactive**, who revealed that older age groups feel more self-conscious when exercising in public and workout less often than other age groups. A report highlighted that a lack of proper exercise among the older generations can lead to preventable health problems and add a significant burden to an already under-pressure NHS. 

Alongside the commitment, David Lloyd Leisure is introducing a training programme that will empower all of its fitness teams to deliver industry-leading support to its older members, including how to develop confidence and motivation, fitness and nutrition and advice, and how to create individual training programmes to suit specific needs. 

Lucy Day, head of gym at David Lloyd Leisure, said of the commitment: “At David Lloyd Clubs we strive to provide market-leading facilities and a warm community where everyone of all ages and abilities feel welcome and inspired. Our older members have told us that having great age diversity in our clubs helps them overcome their self-consciousness and more readily embrace exercise.”

“The pandemic has prompted more of us than ever to re-evaluate our purpose in life and we know that many people are thinking about changing careers at this time. If you have a passion for fitness and a desire to make a positive difference to people’s lives, then becoming a fitness trainer could be for you. Age is most certainly not a barrier, and we’re looking to hear from people from all life stages and backgrounds”.

“The pandemic has prompted more of us than ever to re-evaluate our purpose in life.  We urge anyone who is interested in changing careers to one where they can make a positive difference to people’s live, to consider becoming a fitness trainer.”

Applicants do not need to have fitness training experience, but they will need to have achieved the entry Level 2 in Fitness qualification. Advice and tips about how to study for this, as well as more about the commitment can be found at  www.davidlloyd.co.uk/active-ageing.

To apply for a Personal Trainer role at David Lloyd Clubs please visit https://careers.davidlloyd.co.uk

- ENDS -

 

*Sport England’s Adult Lives Active survey and report published 29 April 2021 https://www.sportengland.org/news/impact-coronavirus-activity-levels-revealed

**UKActive’s Reimagining Ageing report https://www.ukactive.com/reports/reimagining-ageing/

About David Lloyd Leisure Group:
The David Lloyd Leisure is Europe’s largest health and fitness group (by revenue according to Deloittes health & fitness market report 2019). It operates 122 clubs - 99 clubs in the UK and a further 23 clubs across mainland Europe, comprising its three brands David Lloyd Clubs,  Harbour Clubs (of which there are three in London) and Meridian Spa and Fitness in Germany. 
For the last four years David Lloyd Leisure has been voted into the Top 25 of The Sunday Times’ Best Large Companies to Work For.
It has over 600,000 members and employs around 8300 people. This includes an expert health and fitness team of over 2000 while it contracts the services of more than 680 tennis professionals.

David Lloyd Club’s racquets facilities are unparalleled with over 1080 tennis courts as well as over 400 badminton and squash courts. Additional facilities include health and beauty spas, club lounges with free internet access, crèches, nurseries and specialist sports shops.   www.davidlloyd.co.uk